I’m going to try out a new approach this year, and see if I can do some ‘liveblogging’ as I attend events rather than waiting until the end of the day to do a summary. I expect, in the nature of all confererncee blogging, thatI will end up getting worse and worse at updating as the day goes on, but it’s worth an attempt!

Today I’m planning on hitting some volcanology and public policy talks in the morning, Olympia Snowe’s union talk at midday, and a postdoc workshop this afternoon. Last night was our yearly student representative meeting, where we went over everything that’s been in the works and going on at this meeting. If you haven’t seen the lineup, be sure to check it out (there’s a student mixer tonight at 6!)

AFTERNOON UPDATE:

This morning I saw talks on the fluid geochemistry monitoring at California volcanoes (V11D-05, Evans), where I learned that CO2 emissions can be determined from tree ring records, and a new map of Mammoth Mountain (V11D-06, Hildreth) where I learned that it is possible (although perhaps not advisable) to build a ski resort on a lava dome complex. At the ED12C session, I listened to talks about non-traditional science careers, including plugs for science policy from Kasey White (my current boss) and Linda Rowan (a former AGI colleague), and heard from Sarah Andrews, who uses her geoscience career to write mystery novels!

Senator Olympia Snowe’s talk about the intersection of science and policy in Washington – and the reasons that we have such an ineffectual Congress nowadays – was a bit depressing but ended on a positive note, as the former senator exhorted us as scientists to make our voices heard to our representatives. She reminded us that we must not underestimate the impacts and influence we can have by bringing our work to policymakers.

On a more energizing note, the Career Advice Workshop had some great tips for anyone considering a postdoc (or those already holding them); you can check out my summary on my Twitter feed. Being flexible and having a career plan are key!

Off to see some posters and then brave the icebreaker this evening – it’s being held in the exhibit hall this time. Beer and swag coming up!

About Jessica

Jessica Ball is a Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow at the U.S. Geological Survey, researching stratovolcano hydrothermal systems and how they affect volcano stability. She previously worked at the Geological Society of America's Washington DC Policy Office, learning about the intersection of Earth science and legislative affairs. Her PhD in volcanology focused on how water affects the stability of cooling lava domes, and involved both field investigations and numerical modeling applications. Her blogging covers a range of topics, from her experiences in academic geosciences to science outreach and communication to her field and lab work in volcanology.

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